Reddingshuisje by Droomvilla

Good.

The beds were excellent, and the hut had a cozy feel with the sort of decor you’d expect from a Juttershut. We also appreciated having a bicycle at each house, plus a bouldering cart that was especially fun for the children and some binoculars. The setting is beautiful and quiet, with the beach within walking distance, a nature park nearby, and a zoo worth visiting. The park has a relaxed atmosphere and is especially peaceful in winter, when you hardly see other residents. We were seven people in a beachcombers' hut meant for eight, but it didn’t really work well for that many. Four can sleep upstairs, though the open upper floor means any movement downstairs wakes them. Even a trip to the toilet can do it, since the fan switches on loudly with the light. Sound carries up very easily. There’s just one small bathroom, with the toilet in it, so nobody can shower while someone else is using the toilet. With a larger group, that’s a real hassle. The shower drain didn’t clear properly, and the clean shower curtain wasn’t very practical. The bathroom and sink are both small, and the house felt a little dusty. The double beds have two separate single sheets, so we were always straightening them. The lighting, especially upstairs, was also too dim in the evening. It’s an extremely dark room, which we really didn’t enjoy. It’s a lovely, cozy spot, but we’d suggest a Juttershut for no more than six people, or seven if some are children. We wouldn’t recommend one for eight adults.

Never again! We spent a weekend there with my grandchildren at the so-called “quiet park,” but had no electricity from 6:00 PM until 10:00 AM the next morning. There was noise from the restaurant on three occasions, dirty windows, a crack in the window, and a shower drain that wouldn’t drain. At 11:30 PM, people were walking around our house, shining a flashlight inside and trying every door. It felt so unsafe. The compensation was a free lunch, but there was no communication at all. After all that trouble and such a huge loss of money, that just wasn’t enough. This was in a beachcomber's hut at the supposedly quiet, sunny sea and beach!

The rescue cabin I rented for 14 days at the start of September looked pretty and was styled impeccably. It was clean, and there was a welcome bottle of wine, chips, and nuts. But the description says the wooden cabins are “habitable year-round,” and there’s no central heating, just a small radiator. The beds sagged so much and were so uncomfortable that I couldn’t sleep. At 5:00 a.m. I noticed the radiator in one cabin sparking badly. I shudder to think what might have happened if I’d been asleep. They gave me another radiator, but I didn’t dare leave it on overnight, so I was cold at night and in the mornings when the temperature was barely into double digits. When the sun is out, the cabin gets very warm. Trying to air it out in the evening brought a swarm of flies inside. The listing also promises a private garden for dogs, but it isn’t fenced. There’s only some cleverly placed privacy screening. I don’t really understand the positive comments about the location. It’s almost a 30-minute walk to the beach, mostly along a moped and bike path with no sidewalk. People go fast, and walking there with a dog was especially unpleasant because I was worried about getting hit. There is a bicycle and handcart to use, though. The supermarket took about 45 minutes each way on foot. At least parking at the beach in Callantsoog is free, so I drove there every day.